Heating · Virginia
How Much Does It Cost to Run an Electric Blanket in Virginia?
The short answer
A typical 100W electric blanket costs about $0.02 per hour to run in Virginia, or $4.27 a month at 8 hours a day.
The estimate uses Virginia’s average residential electricity price of 17.6¢/kWh from EIA (July 2026) — 4% below the national average.
Source: U.S. EIA, July 2026 data · Updated
Electric Blanket cost by daily use in Virginia
| Daily use | kWh/month | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour/day | 3.0 | $0.02 | $0.53 | $6.41 |
| 2 hours/day | 6.1 | $0.04 | $1.07 | $12.81 |
| 4 hours/day | 12.2 | $0.07 | $2.14 | $25.62 |
| 8 hours/day | 24.3 | $0.14 | $4.27 | $51.25 |
| 12 hours/day | 36.5 | $0.21 | $6.41 | $76.87 |
| 24 hours/day | 73.0 | $0.42 | $12.81 | $154 |
Virginia vs other states
At typical use, an electric blanket costs $51.25 a year in Virginia — $88.91 less than in Hawaii and $14.10 more than in Louisiana.
Virginia has the 20th-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. electricity prices in Virginia · all states ranked
Electricity price trend in Virginia
17.6¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▲ +11.2% from a year earlier.
How to lower the cost of running an electric blanket
Electric blankets and heated mattress pads warm your body directly instead of the air in the room, which is why they use so little power. Most queen-size blankets draw 50–200W on high and much less on low settings. Because you are only heating a few square feet, an electric blanket combined with a lower thermostat setting overnight is one of the cheapest ways to stay warm in winter.
- Pre-warm the bed for 20–30 minutes, then switch to low or use the auto-off timer.
- Turn the house thermostat down a few degrees at night — the blanket keeps you comfortable.
- Choose a dual-control model so each side only heats as much as needed.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run an electric blanket for 24 hours in Virginia?
Running a 100W electric blanket for 24 hours uses about 2.40 kWh, which costs about $0.42 at Virginia’s average rate of 17.6¢/kWh.
How many kWh does an electric blanket use per month?
At 8 hours a day, a typical electric blanket uses about 24.3 kWh a month. In Virginia that costs $4.27.
Is it expensive to run an electric blanket in Virginia?
Virginia has the 20th-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 17.6¢/kWh — pricier than most. Running an electric blanket here costs about $51.25 a year at typical use, compared with $53.47 at the national average rate.
What is the electricity rate in Virginia right now?
The average residential electricity rate in Virginia was 17.6¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — up 11.2% from a year earlier.
Is it cheaper to use an electric blanket or a space heater?
An electric blanket is far cheaper — about 100W versus 1,500W, so roughly 15 times less electricity per hour.
Electric Blanket costs in nearby states
Other appliances in Virginia
Cheapest and priciest states
Comparisons
Sources & method
- Electricity rates: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly — average residential retail price, July 2026 (latest available). Retrieved .
- CO₂: EIA State Electricity Profiles, 2024 emissions rate of in-state power generation.
- Default usage for electric blanket: 8 hours a day. Typical power 100W.
- Formulas, duty cycles and limitations: methodology. Data download: open data (CC BY 4.0).